


The Kindness of Strangers

by AnnieVH



Series: Rumple and the Spinsters [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2297624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/pseuds/AnnieVH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Spinsters welcome Rumpelstiltskin into their home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kindness of Strangers

The door closed and that was it. Papa was gone.

The room was quiet other than the constant turning of the spinning wheel and the breathless sobs of the boy who was staring at the two women. Both gave the door final looks of disdain before turning to him with smiles on their faces. Rumpelstiltskin found that disconcerting.

The woman with the blonde hair asked, “Would you like something to eat, my darling?”

“Or drink,” said the other one. “You look parched.”

“And pale,” said the first one. “Are you scared?”

“You shouldn't. We don't bite.”

They both had kind voices, but that just made him nervous. He had learned to expect either scorn or pity from other people – in fact, Papa had often counted on the pity of strangers to get them by. “No one thinks a poor little child should starve,” he'd said more than once, laughing his manic giggle and petting his son's hair to indicate he was a good boy just by looking hungry.

But this was different. This was kindness, and Rumpelstiltskin was not used to getting kindness from anyone. He had no idea of what he was supposed to do with it. So he just squeezed his doll tighter.

Noticing his discomfort, the woman with the long black hair stopped spinning her wheel and came to meet him.

“Now, now,” she said, kneeling to meet his eye.

From her own spinning wheel, never stopping her work, the blonde woman said, “There is no need to be sad, dear.”

They spoke so fast it was almost as if they were sharing the same voice. Or the same thoughts.

The one kneeling in front of him said, “You will be alright.”

And the other followed, “Of course you will.”

He wished he could stop crying. He didn't want them to think he was a weak boy who was afraid of everything.

The woman reached for his face and he shuddered, but didn't recoil. She wiped the tears gently. “Lovely boy.”

“Could we call you Rumpel?” the other one asked, right after.

He sniffed. Then nodded.

The black haired woman's smile got slightly bigger. “And you can call us Aunt Flora.”

“And Aunt Fauna,” said the one at the wheel, immediately after Aunt Flora had finished speaking. “Come here.”

Aunt Flora offered him her hand. “We're going to teach you how to spin.”

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't stop crying. But still, he clutched the doll to his chest with one hand, and grasped Aunt Flora's with the other.

 


End file.
